Monthly Archives: December 2012

Since 2012 is coming to an end I’d thought it would be fun to post my top 12 posts from the past year (whether they were actually written this year or not!). It’s funny to see most of my top posts were actually from the beginning of the year, not any of my more recent posts at all! Now onto it, my top 12 posts! What was your favorite post of 2012?

This was probably the only shocker on the list for me- since this was only post where I didn’t actually have the product, it was just an announcement. I like this post still, because when I tweeted it, @dkny responded!

This blog post included great mint green nail polishes, which has been a top nail polish shade for a few years! It’s no surprise that people searched for the perfect mint green polishes, because I was on the hunt for it last year!

This month I decided to try GLOSSYBOX, which is a slightly more expensive box ($21) that has recently come to the states. I was able to get 40% off with a code, so I decided to try it for this month and then cancel it. I was impressed by it, but I can tell their service is a bit off because I received 2 boxes in the mail, which is pretty strange. I am going to give away the extra box for sure. I’m really impressed with the quality and packaging of the boxes- it definitely seems more luxurious than Birchbox. I was excited with the contents of this box, so now onto the reviews!

Issey Miyake Pleats Please Perfume– I really enjoyed this fun and fruity scent. It’s a great perfume, check it out if you can!

Denise Richards by Christophe Volume Extend Spray– I wasn’t too crazy about this hairspray. I thought it sprayed out very large drops on my hair and didn’t change the volume of my hair much. It also left my hair crunchy. Other people got a cool oil for the bath and shower that I’m super jealous of!

Zoya Nail Polish in Electra– I love Zoya’s nail polishes so I was excited to have this in the box. It isn’t necessarily a glitter I’d pick for myself, but I am trying to see what I think of these bar glitters, so it was great to receive. It’s holographic silver, which is always fun!

Heartland Fragrance Co. White Tea Bath and Shower Salts– I love fun bath treats, so I was excited for these. I thought it was particularly unique that they said they worked in the shower too, but I didn’t have much success with that! The scent is very faint, which is a con for me, because I love strong scents in the bath and shower!

Mark. Lipclick Luxe Lipstick in m.powerment petal– I like the idea of this, but not the color. So, I’ve left it in my giveaway pile. The packaging is awesome with a magnetic closure that “clicks” as it’s closed.

Wella Velvet Amplifier– I feel like I want more of this to try, but I like what I see. This product is a primer/serum that you apply to damp hair before styling. It has a silicone texture that I don’t mind at all, and smells great!

Jewelmint Earrings– I’m not too crazy about JewelMint anymore, but some of their pieces are pretty nice. I’m really not a fan of these earrings, which are blue with birds. I actually think they are really hideous to be honest! I don’t like that I can’t find out the name of these earrings at all online!

I think GLOSSYBOX will be a nice box to get every few months as a splurge, but I can’t justify getting it each month just because it costs as much as the 2 subscriptions I typically get (Birchbox and Ipsy) combined, but it was well worth it!

This month’s Birchbox was a good one. I received a full sized item, hooray! Let me know what you got in your Birchbox in the comments, but now onto the reviews!

Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner in Purple– This product alone retails for $15, and essentially pays for the box! I found this liquid eyeliner with a felt tip pretty easy to use, even though I’m not an eyeliner connoisseur. The dark purple shade isn’t too bright but is a nice pop of color. It doesn’t fade or flake all day!

Juice Beauty CC Cream– I was really excited to test this product out since CC creams are basically the new BB creams, but I was disappointing in it. It hardly has any pigmentation to it and is essentially a primer or moisturizer. It does smell really good, however, but not quite worth the “color correcting” title (what CC stands for) and the $39 price tag.

Nick Chavez Advanced Volume Shampoo– I don’t typically care for shampoos or conditioners in my boxes, but I was excited for this one because it was a great sized sample. I liked the texture and smell, but I found that it wasn’t great for my oily hair! It’s hard for me to find shampoos anyways…

Juicy Couture “Juicy Couture” Perfume– I like fragrance samples, so I was excited to see this one because I haven’t tried it before. Their “Couture Couture” scent was my signature scent for a few years, and I loved it. This scent is a lot more mature and floral than that one, and I also got a little bit of a spicy hint from it, likely due to patchouli.

I also received a fortune cookie that was completely shattered and pointless, so I didn’t photograph it. I posted a sarcastic tweet about it on Twitter and their operations team got back to me quickly and gave me 100 points for the damaged sample…awesome! One reason I love Birchbox is that they are great about making their errors better with replacements if possible, or points for their store (which I’m racking up!).

This month I decided to start doing blog reviews for each bag/box I get each month to go along with the video that I post monthly on YouTube! So, let’s get started with Ipsy’s December bag. The bag itself was a slate gray with an Ipsy print liner on the inside, which was a cool touch! I think that added a lot of value to the bag compared to others. This bag came with 3 full sized products and 2 samples. Some Ipsy subscribers also received an Urban Decay Naked Beauty Balm sample that I’m super jealous of. Now, onto my reviews!

Be a Bombshell Hot Mess Lip Gloss– I didn’t use this product because I am not a huge lip gloss user and am so over receiving them in Ipsy’s bags! This was a bright red color.

Mirabella Eye and Face Primer– This primer is a clear silicone formula that can be used on face and eyes. I think it’s a decent primer for the face, but on my oily eyes it’s far too greasy and my eye makeup gets ridiculously creased. I’m not sure how it would work for those with dry eyelids, so keep me posted in the comments if you tried it!

NYX Ultra Pearl Mania Loose Pigment– I decided to toss this in my giveaway pile because I have a lot of eye shadows and this wasn’t a color I’d reach for frequently. NYX is a great brand, though!

Mai Couture Highlighter Papier– I like the idea of these a lot, and they’re a great size. The color is a medium toned highlighter, so on my light skin I can use it more as a blush. I would love it a lot more if it was a light champagne shade, because that’s what I like to highlight with! I do like this product, and I found that I can use the back side as an oil blotting paper, since that is how these are formulated. The only downside is that they leave a lot of excess product on my fingers so I have to wash my hands before moving on.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Zero– I love UD’s liners, and have had quite a few Zero’s pass through my hands and I loved it! It’s very black and stays on well. I haven’t been wearing much black liner lately, but if I do, I reach for this one frequently.

Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics’ Mineral Primer is a great primer that I’ve been using for a while- and bonus, it’s paraben free and vegan! This primer is clear and has a silicone feel to it, which I personally like a lot. It helps keep my oily skin at bay throughout the day, and at only $41 online, this is a great deal for a high quality product! You’re probably paying a similar price for products that aren’t vegan and that have parabens, so to find a similarly priced “healthier” product is an easy tradeoff!

**This post contains products that I have received for free– for more information, please read my Disclosure Policy**